The Graduate Teaching Scholarship Program for Masters Students

Learn while you teach

“When you take on the role of a teacher you strengthen your mastery of whatever content you’re teaching." Joel Barnes, Faculty

Overview

Graduate Teaching Scholarships (GTS) provide graduate students with experiential learning opportunities working with faculty members and students in the undergraduate programs, either on the Prescott campus in Arizona or through our limited-residency distance format. For students considering a career as an educator, participating in the GTS can prove to be an invaluable learning experience in which to gain some practical, on-the-job skills, develop leadership skills, and help to pay for their graduate education while serving as a resource for undergraduate faculty and students.

While the duties assigned will vary by program area, delivery model, and need, individuals awarded this scholarship will be responsible for the following:

Serve as a graduate teaching assistant, co-instructor, or lead instructor in 1-2 resident undergraduate (RU) courses or 1-2 limited-residency undergraduate (LRU) MyClassroom courses. Teaching placements must occur in two consecutive terms in the same delivery model.

Hold regular office hours and meetings with students in study and review sessions, or conduct the same via online or phone discussions.

Assist faculty members with instructional preparation, delivery, and assessment.

Other duties pertaining to the instructional mission of Prescott College.

During their first term a student is awarded the GTS, they will participate online in a Teaching Practicum Seminar. In their second term, they will complete Experiential Education Pedagogy online. Students can be enrolled part-time or full-time in their graduate studies, the expectations and scholarship remain the same.

Graduate Teaching Opportunities for 2018-2019

Assisting with undergraduate courses available through the RU format

A limited number of Graduate Teaching Scholarships, each valued at $6,000 ($3,000 each term, Fall and Spring), have been made available in the following departments: Environmental Studies, Adventure Education, Education, Human Development & Psychology, and Arts & Letters. These awards last for two consecutive terms (Fall and Spring).

Follow this link and select “Resident Undergraduate Records & Registration Resources” to review undergraduate classes listed in the 2017-18 academic year. They will be representative of what will be offered in 2018-19, which have not yet been posted.

Assisting with undergraduate courses available through the LRU format

A limited number of Graduate Teaching Scholarships valued at $6,000 ($3,000 each term, Fall and Spring) have been made available in the following departments: Education and Teacher Preparation, Arts and Cultural Studies, Sustainability and Environmental Studies, and Human Development. In addition to assisting Moodle courses, opportunities also exist with individualized courses such as MathExplorations. These awards last for two consecutive terms (Fall and Spring).

Follow this link and select “Limited-Residency Undergraduate Records & Registration” to review undergraduate classes listed in the 2017-18 academic year. They will be representative of what will be offered in 2018-19, which have not yet been posted.

Workload Expectations

During the Fall and Spring terms of 2018-19, a student awarded a GTS should generally expect to serve as a teaching assistant in 1-2 classes led by faculty or an experienced instructor. They may be approved to serve as lead instructor in a course in the second term. During each term, all students awarded a GTS are required to participate in teaching supervision seminars on a weekly basis. On average, the workload is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-20 hours per week; these time commitments are manageable along with full-time graduate study. While there is no guarantee of future teaching assignments, students awarded this scholarship will be eligible to apply for other teaching opportunities at the College once they have completed their two-term requirements.

Graduate Teaching Scholarship Expectations

The expectations for the GTS are consistent between the two delivery models – resident undergraduate (RU) or limited residency undergraduate (LRU). Below are the general GTS expectations, followed by specifics for each delivery model.

General GTS Expectations for Prospective Applicants

Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal communications potential.

Commitment to experiential learning for social justice and environmental sustainability.

Evidence of good character, ethics and high professional standards including, among others, respect for honest and responsible exchange of ideas, fair and equal treatment of all learners, respect for individual differences, and ability to complete fair assessments of student efforts.

Enrollment for two consecutive terms in the limited-residency master’s programs

For continuing students, satisfactory progress in their current graduate program

Demonstrated quality of academic work and practical/field experience as appropriate given the curricular requirements in ES, AE, ED, or HD.

GTS opportunities for the 2018-2019 Resident Undergraduate curriculum require students to live and work in Prescott, Arizona, with a start date of August 28, 2018. Block courses in the term may require daily participation and the fall and spring semester courses usually meet 1-2 days weekly.

Acumen for and willingness to learn technical skills necessary for success as an instructor in a limited-residency / virtual-classroom, experiential-learning environment.

Ability to join the GTS cohort for a virtual or face-to-face meetings prior to LRU Orientations and at the Colloquia for the Master’s programs.

Application Process

Fall 2018 applicants to the GTS must complete the standard application requirements for the program AND submit a GTSLetter of Application to the Prescott College admissions office no later than February 15, 2018.The GTS Letter of Application must be submitted via email directly to admissions@prescott.edu. Continuing students need to submit the GTS Letter of Application and a current resume directly to the Admissions Office.

The Letter of Application should address the GTS position description, the general and specific eligibility requirements listed, and clearly state whether the student is applying to just one GTS delivery type OR to both; if both, clearly state a preference; if just one, clearly state which one. The student must identify specific courses in the undergraduate fall term course offerings they feel qualified to help teach. Use these links to review Undergraduate courses offered in the Fall 2017 semester. They will be representative of what is offered in the Fall 2018 semester:

The Letter of Application must demonstrate graduate-level writing and must advocate effectively for the applicant’s academic background and skill set for each course identified. Applicants interested in assisting with courses delivered via the limited-residency undergraduate program must describe their experience with distance learning, online, or virtual formats (Blackboard or Moodle, for example), and effectively describe skill sets that would enhance this method of course delivery per experiential education pedagogy.

Please note that the student can only be admitted into one course-delivery model for their two-semester commitment.

Selection Process

Upon admission to the master’s program, the GTS application will be sent to the GTS Committee for review. If the GTS applicant is deemed admissible to the GTS Program and the GTS Director is able to find a course and faculty match, then they will be awarded acceptance into the GTS Program. Decisions will be available by April 1st.